Things About Snakes that Aren’t True

Snakes are pretty terrifying creatures if you go by the popular myths. But thats the thing- they’re just myths. Snakes are such misunderstood animals and it’s a bummer because not only are they absolutely the coolest, they’re vital to our world. So let’s bust some snake myths!

As a snake owner, I’ve heard so many snake stories that are so NOT true that they’re laughable. Except for one thing. When people don’t understand things or they believe these myths, the animal can pay for it. 

Unfortunately, many of these myths are about snakes being more dangerous than they really are, which can lead to fear and unnecessary aggression towards them. So let’s dig into some of those common myths and then the actual truth!

Myth #1- Snakes are Aggressive and want to attack people.

This is probably the most common thing I hear from people that don’t have much experience with snakes. The truth is that snakes aren’t naturally aggressive. Instead, they’re defensive. IN the animal world, there are predators and prey. And to a snake, we probably seem like a predator. The average US native snake isn’t going to be able to eat a person so they’re not going to see us as prey. Instead, they’re going to see us as a potential threat. In most cases, they’re going to try to getaway. In fact, if you hike, you’ve probably passed many a snake and not known it. Snake bites happen when people get too close, step on a snake or something like that. It takes energy to bite and attack and the snake risks harm to itself so fleeing is the best option.

But what about pet snakes. That’s an entirely different ballpark. Pet snakes and wild snakes are pretty different in many behaviors but not this one. A snake that is well socialized is going to see people as big warm trees. Not prey. If a snake isn’t being handled or socialized, it’ll see people as predators. 

Again… this doesn’t mean they’ll attack… it just means they’ll defend themselves. 

Myth #2- Snakes Size Up their Prey.

You’ve heard this story before… a friend of a friend of friend knew this guy who let his snake free roam and woke up to it lying stretched out along his body. After asking a vet, the vet said “oh… he’s sizing you up to eat you.”

This is ridiculous. Snakes don’t come with some built in measuring tool to determine how much they can eat. And side note- most pet snakes aren’t big enough to eat something larger than a large rat.

But let’s dig deeper into this, shall we? The thought that a snake would be measuring a person up implies that they’re planning… plotting. And as much as I adore snakes, they’re not exactly the brightest crayons in the box. There’s no plotting or planning involved in eating. They see/smell something that they think is delectable and they strike.  Simple as that.

Let’s circle back to snakes in the wild… would a wild snake be given the opportunity to size up prey? Um. No. There’s no prey animal in the world that’s just going to chill while a snake slithers up to it with the intention to figure out if they’re the right size.

Okay, I have to know- did you think snakes were smart enough to measure prey?

Myth #3- Snakes are Slimy.

I don’t know why but this is the one that makes me so crazy! I’ve heard it so many times… “ew! A snake! It’s so slimy and gross!!” Ugh, it’s absolutely the worst and just not true.

Snakes are actually smooth and dry animals. They don’t produce any slime from their skin at all… maybe this myth came around because they’re so shiny. But the truth is that they are just shiny and pretty and lovely but not slimy. 

Another thing that ties into that is that they’re cold. Cold and slimy. While snakes are cold-blooded, they’re not always cold. Snakes are ectothermic, meaning they get their warmth from external sources. Wild snakes will get heat from the sun, pet snakes are going to be kept warm with different heat sources. 

This means when the snake is kept warm, they won’t feel cold. They’ll be warm and smooth and gorgeous.

Myth #4- Snakes will Chase You.

Yeah. No. This doesn’t happen. Snakes don’t chase people. So where did this come from? The common theory is that people are mistaking fleeing with chasing. A snake is going to do whatever it can to stay safe and that typically means making a break for it. Often times, they’re going to panic and just slither off in any which way, which may be in your direction.

Does that mean it’s chasing you? Nope. If I were to put my snake on the ground and run past it, it’s not going to chase me down. If I see a snake on a hike, again I could run past it and nothing is going to happen.